The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for monitoring manufacturing status. The present invention relates more specifically to an apparatus and method for monitoring the manufacturing status of a machine that is comprised of one or more components, where the components are incorporated into the machine at one or more production stations.
Commonly, a machine to be manufactured is comprised of one or more components. Each component must be incorporated into the machine. These components are incorporated into the machine at a production station. Prior to incorporation, a component is generally tested to determine whether the component meets pre-determined standards for operation, function, and or use. If a component meets all applicable pre-determined standards, the component is then incorporated into the machine.
Prior art methods for monitoring manufacture status have included the manual entry of the information on a “traveler.” A traveler is a written record of the manufacturing history of the machine. Information regarding the manufacturing history is manually entered on the traveler at each production and/or inspection station. Generally, all travelers for the machines that have been assembled are collected each relevant business cycle, for instance daily.
Prior art methods for tracking manufacturing status possess serious deficiencies. For instance, requiring employees to hand write entries onto a traveler is time consuming and introduces the possibility of error. In addition, employee or inspector handwriting can be difficult to read. Second, where a defect is detected, management may be required to go directly to an individual inspection station to find out what the defect is and how to correct it. Moreover, because travelers are not collected or entered until the end of the day or other business cycle, production and defect information, including total units manufactured and the failure rate are generally only available at the end of the cycle (for instance the end of the day) and only after manual calculation.